Biljana () is a settlement east of
Dobrovo in the
Municipality of Brda in the
Littoral region of
Slovenia, very close to the border with
Italy.
Name
Biljana was first mentioned in written sources in 1205 as ''Beliana'' (and as ''Villana'' in 1233, ''Billgianis'' in 1270, and ''Bigliana'' in 1480). The oldest transcriptions indicate that the name was originally ''*Běľana'', with the later development of unstressed ''-ě-'' > ''-i-''. The suffix ''-ana'' generally indicates a
Romance or pre-Romance origin, but because the name cannot be explained through Romance roots it is assumed that it is Slavic in origin, possibly derived from the plural
demonym
A demonym (; ) or gentilic () is a word that identifies a group of people (inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place. Demonyms are usually derived from the name of the place (hamlet, village, town, city, region, province, ...
''*Běľane'' (literally, 'residents of ''*Belъjь's'' village').
History
The lords of Biljana lived in a building known as ''Dorišče'' in the 13th and 14th centuries. Ownership of the building changed frequently over the centuries. During the late 19th century, the national revival movement took hold here; the Lipa Reading and Choral Society in Biljana was the largest in the
Gorizia Hills. Before the First World War, an Austrian military unit was stationed in the village.
Church
The
parish church in the village is dedicated to
Saint Michael and belongs to the
Diocese of
Koper
Koper (; it, Capodistria, hr, Kopar) is the fifth largest city in Slovenia. Located in the Istrian region in the southwestern part of the country, approximately five kilometres () south of the border with Italy and 20 kilometres () from Triest ...
.
Koper Diocese list of churches
The earliest church at the site dated to the 13th century. The current church has a Gothic belfry and a distinctive chancel with a wooden statue from the end of the 15th century. The church contains a painting by Avgust Schlegl (1856–1908).
Notable people
Notable people that were born or lived in Biljana include:
* Ignac Kožlin (1878–1955), composerLojze Simoniti Lojze is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
*Lojze Bratuž (1902–1937), Slovene choirmaster and composer, killed by Italian Fascist squads
*Lojze Grozde, Slovenian student murdered by partisans during World War II
*Lojze Kovači ...
(1901–1957), physician
References
External links
*
Biljana on Geopedia
Populated places in the Municipality of Brda
{{BrdaSI-geo-stub